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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    New York State, USA
    Posts
    42

    Question Battery Replacement Suggestions

    Our 2002 V70 XC did not start the other morning after having done a short round trip in very low temperatures (-4F). The battery took a charge and then the car started normally once again.

    We bought the car new in June 2002 and still have the original battery.

    AutoZone has the following replacement for $149:

    "O.E. group size: 48 *** 600 cold cranking Amps (750 cranking Amps) *** -> 3 year free replacement <- Battery is vented to outside of vehicle, labor intensive installation, 30 minute installation, located in trunk"

    Any suggestions on this, or some other battery, vs. the Volvo dealer would be welcome. As an added plus, buying parts from the dealer also includes a 2-hour round trip.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Western Head, Nova Scotia
    Posts
    3,089

    Default

    I just put an Optima in my '02. Despite the confusion on appropriate size for the XC, I found on mine that there are 3 possible screw-downs for the hold-down clamp so using a size 35 I kept the size a bit smaller than stock and a bit lighter. If there are any issues with this setup, its that the battery is a wee bit taller than the stock size (which on mine was a Euro size with no real good direct SAE size replacement, at least that I could find locally) so that the cover and top strap are snug fit. Also some might say the CCA are a bit lower than the other Optimas (720 vs. 800, but better than the stock 660) but so far it has worked great for me even in -20C temps and with infrequent and short runs into town. As far as long term, I've had good luck with Optimas in the past and that was even surviving in Northern Ontario -25C to -40C temps. I don't anticipate any issues with this one.

    Cheers,

    Bill
    Western Head, NS CDN

    '08 BMW 750i (Black Sapphire)-204K kms to-date
    '05 XC70 (Lava Sand)-296K kms to-date
    '02 V70XC-gone @393K kms
    '05 V70R (Magic Blue)-120K mi to-date - gone
    '96 854R (Red)-real CDN-spec 5-speed R - gone @270k kms
    And other Volvos and misc. Euro stuff

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    South Lake Tahoe, CA
    Posts
    639

    Default

    After almost six years I am concerned that the battery is nearing the end of its life. So, I have been looking for non Volvo replacements. I live in California and have found group 48 batteries with vents at Les Schwab and Kragen. I know that Schwab is a western states only operation but maybe Kragen is nation wide. The price at both stores was about $80.

    My usual strategy is to wait for the battery to exhibit signs of failure and then charge once and if the signs persist and the battery is more than three or four years old replace it. My wife disagrees and wants to replace them at about five years to avoid the failure. I am too cheap to do that. I can only hope the battery fails me and not her.
    Wait Griswold
    2003 XC70
    South Lake Tahoe, CA

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Northern Alberta
    Posts
    115

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by RedHookV70XC
    very low temperatures (-4F).
    Very cold? I laugh in your general direction

    When I recently replaced the battery in my wife's V40 I just went to a auto supply store (not a Walmart etc.) and asked for a battery to specifically fit the V40. In that case there were limited selections but the one we got was a doppleganger for the OEM one at about 1/2 the price.
    That is normally the process I use for what ever vehicle I get a battery for. I have found that the auto specialty stores generally have the OEM specs in at least one of their many catalogs.
    Colin
    Kinuso, Alberta
    Canada
    2004 XC70 25T, Ruby Red
    2002 V40 (Wife's)
    2001 Nissan X-terra
    2006 Suzuki V-Strom


  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    New York State, USA
    Posts
    42

    Smile Happy Resolution - Upgraded Battery for $120

    I called our local NAPA store and they had an exact Group 48 replacement battery (NAPA model 7548) with one notable exception; 700 amps vs. only 600 for the OEM and Autozone batteries. Plus, NAPA was $119 vs. $149 at Autozone.

    1. Hooked up my intelligent charger to the underhood power points.
    2. Removed the old battery. (As soon as I unhooked the negative cable the intelligent charger detected an error and cut power. Too bad.)
    3. Installed the new battery after a 20 minute round robin to buy the new one. (Interior lights came on immediately with the hatch open.)
    4. Locked and unlocked the car three times with the remote. (Just for fun and to comply with the Volvo Voodoo mentioned in other threads.)

    The only thing requiring any attention after losing power for 20-30 minutes was the clock in the instument cluster. Even the seat memory was intact!

  6. #6
    Art's Avatar
    Art is offline Senior Member & VolvoXC.com Supporter
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Red Deer, AB., Canada
    Posts
    4,120

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by RedHookV70XC View Post
    The only thing requiring any attention after losing power for 20-30 minutes was the clock in the instument cluster. Even the seat memory was intact!
    If you have a Homelink transceiver you'll likely need to reprogram it too.

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